


S4 E12 Guns Not Butter (or, We'll Steal the Rest)

by JBNimble, JDPostEpisodeChallenge



Series: Career Planning [1]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26185123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JBNimble/pseuds/JBNimble, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDPostEpisodeChallenge/pseuds/JDPostEpisodeChallenge
Summary: Josh and Donna after the events of Guns Not Butter. It's time for the career development talk. Even when Josh tries to help, he manages to put his foot in his mouth.
Relationships: Josh Lyman & Donna Moss, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Career Planning [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901551
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	S4 E12 Guns Not Butter (or, We'll Steal the Rest)

**Author's Note:**

> Lots of people, in the show and in the audience, complain about Josh holding back Donna's career development. What if he didn't?

**A West Wing fan fiction by JBNimble**

Donna had gotten back to the White House in time to watch the photo op with Ron the goat. The group of staffers were collectively in a surprisingly good mood given the lost vote, but the President was setting the tone and he was in good form. She walked slowly back to her desk afterwards with lots on her mind. She sat down, set aside Josh's cell phone, and reviewed her day.

Josh had threatened to quit. When she questioned him about it he hadn’t answered, but he sure seemed serious.

The team had done all they could, but had failed to get the vote they needed. Well, she had failed — even now she could not believe she said the damned names. The freshman senator from Georgia had evaded her.

Yet Josh wasn’t angry. When he came out of the oval, he seemed more resigned than anything -- and wasn’t ‘resigned’ a scary description, given his threat to quit. But it was true. He actually complimented her work today, ignoring the failure.

That part she understood at least. Despite his assurances to Leo, Josh had believed their strategy was risky, counting on too many people that Josh didn’t want to count on. It was like balancing spinning plates, there were just too many chances for it all to come crashing down. That was why Josh had proposed his own plan. And when that one was shouted down, he proposed his plan B. Leo had made the call though, and once the decision was made, Josh committed to it, and did everything he could to make it work. It even looked like he had succeeded, right up until that morning meeting on the Hill.

"You know it’s a bad day when…", he had said coming out of his office that morning.

"Josh, you’re going to be late!" Donna had chided him, in her own encouraging way.

"I’m just saying, when I have to start my day on the Hill with staffers for a, supposedly, 'moderate' Republican senator, you know it’s going to be a bad day."

Talk about foreshadowing.

Josh was a worrier anyway, and when you combine that nature with a situation Josh already thought was risky and had tried to avoid, you end up with a Josh that was not surprised when it all came crashing down. He had worried about it. Had thought about what he would do if, or when, they failed. He had fretted, and spiraled, and when the plan started to come apart, he had threatened to quit.

He had not followed through on that threat, not yet anyway, but given his pessimism about the plan, it was no surprise that he could still be proud of the job the team had done -- the job she had done.

It felt so strange to accept a compliment on a loss, but she would take it. It was happening: After years of Josh's stories about how DC works, after all of her questions, the how's and why's, Donna Moss was a real part of the political team. Yes, they failed this time, but she failed alongside the real players, and she had actually run her own team of people to implement the President's political strategy. Josh had entrusted her with that team, and with executing a political maneuver.Looking back at some of what she had done felt like she had been running a crew in a heist movie.

She was considering the name Dana Ocean when Josh walked by and into his office.

"Donna!"

Her jaw dropped.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before following him into his office.

"Did you actually walk right past me, deliberately walk into your office, just so you could bellow at me, Josh? You could have stopped walking sooner and spoken to me in a normal-"

"Yeah, sorry. I don't have time for you to make it to your point," he interrupted. "Close the door, and sit down for a sec."

Another deep breath as she closed the door, but the closed door probably meant now wasn't the time to get into what his mother would think of his manners.

Despite claiming he didn't have time, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. Finally, shaking them off, he seemed to decide to dive right in.

"Look, I don't want to talk about today's fiasco, and I am not going to ask about you and the Commander, but-"

"Excuse me?" So much for feeling good, she thought, but immediately she could see Josh backpedaling.

"Wait, I mean... How... Okay, let me start again." He ran his hands through his hair. "I am talking about your job, well your career, really. You really did do some great work today, and you're already well-known on the Hill. People know your name, you have the contacts and the people skills. If you.. If you are sticking around DC, you could do well. The trouble is, ahh... you need to pick a major."

Donna had to admit, this was not the conversation she was expecting, and her good mood seemed to be all but gone.

"You mean I'm not... what? After all this time, you've decided that without a degree, I'm not smart enough to work in politics?"

And that broke the tension. The last thing she expected to see was Josh laughing and relaxing back into his chair. He'd had a crappy day, and if she could get him to laugh, great.

"Heh no, Donnatella, that is not what I meant. What I'm trying to say is that when you think of your title, you think Assistant, and somewhere in the back of your head you add the word 'Administrative' in front of assistant. And before you climb that high horse, I am not saying there is anything wrong with being an administrative assistant!"

That was something Donna would never accuse Josh of... Woe to the one who insulted Mrs. Landingham when she was here, much less her memory. Just the idea made Donna want to walk outside, turn around three times and spit.

"I'm just saying, you're doing a lot of the miscellaneous stuff, although even that you're really doing more office management than assistant stuff, and we all have to do some of that at some point. When I was working my way up through internships, making copies was skilled office work. Babysitting visitors or VIP families, while the VIP took a meeting I wanted to be in -- that made me want to pull my hair out." He laughed at the memory.

"Babysitting visitors? I have trouble seeing you as a welcoming committee," she relaxed a bit. She wasn't sure where this was leading, but it didn't seem to be bad, and a Josh story was often a treat.

"Heh! Well, I knew enough about DC that I made a good tour guide, even then. So that got to be one of the things I was asked to do a lot."

"You were still meeting with the family of some VIP. Doesn't really sound like menial stuff to me. Did you ever do anything that really made you feel like the low man on the totem pole?"

She could tell immediately she had hit on something. Josh spent a long moment looking down at his desk, tapping his finger with a grimace on his face.

"Josh?" she prompted.

"Ahh-kay, talk about being the welcoming committee. There was a time, this was when I was working for congressman Dorn, and they asked me to fill in at reception, which you already pointed out was not the best use of my skills. And I'm sitting there thinking, I'm answering phones, poorly, because the receptionist has a more important meeting -- talking to the janitor about a weird smell in the back office. That would deflate anyone's ego."

She giggled while a self-conscious smile tugged at his lips.

"My point is, we all do that stuff, the miscellaneous stuff. Some of us love it, and some of us do it while we figure out what we're good at, and some just get through it while we're trying to learn the stuff we really want to do.

"I'm not sure if you've realized it yet, but you're good at the political work. I wasn't joking earlier tonight -- you had a slip of the tongue, but you well know that I thought this strategy was doomed before that. Sometime in the next four years, I'll walk out this office for good. I've already lasted longer than most deputies. Same goes for you, at some point being 'Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff' will come to an end, and you'll find something else. I have three things to say about that."

He paused, as if waiting an an interruption. She thought she was too surprised to speak, but suddenly she was.

"When Casey offered me that position-"

"When Casey offered you a position, he wanted you to write about important work. That's not a bad thing. Danny is a great example, and he is good at it. But there is writing about important work, and there is doing important work. I am talking about doing important work." Josh stopped to calm himself, realizing his voice had been on the rise.

"Okay, so what are the three things?" she nudged him as the pause lingered.

"Three things?"

"You said you had three things to say." She wondered if she managed to control her eye roll.

"Right, three things. One, we need to get you more time with the party hacks and some of the people at the state level. Like I said, your contacts on the hill are good. You did well in North Dakota, and I know you didn't think much of it, but you need to do some more of those.

"Point B, you need to pick a specialty eventually. Some people like election campaigns, think Bruno and Joey; some prefer issue lobbying, like Amy. There are all sorts of specialties: policy advisors, spin doctors -- never let Toby know I used that phrase, damage control. You don't need to pick one now, but the important thing is that you start thinking about it while you do all the miscellany that you are getting bored with, your general ed requirements. That's what I meant by picking a major."

"Are you crazy?" she asked, just before she started grabbing random items off his desk and throwing them at him. "Is this a joke to you?"

"Ow"Josh scrambled down behind his desk. "What the hell?"

"I really do want to do important work! Do you think that's a joke?" Even as she chastised him, she was chastising herself for grabbing things selectively, refusing to throw items of real value, or files of important work. Her eyes darted around looking for more notes that he had crumbled up, memos he was actively avoiding. When nothing presented itself, she turned back to Josh.

"Are you actually making fun of a degree I'll never finish, and teasing me with positions I'll never be qualified for without that damn degree."

"Calm down, Babe Ruth!"

"Wait, what?" The non sequitur brought her up short. "Babe Ruth? Wasn't he known for his hitting? And for being a Yankee?"

"Well yeah, but he was a star pitcher for the Red Sox first." He started to get back in his chair, but continued to watch her warily. "And of course, he proved that he was batshit crazy by signing with the Yankees, much like you're doing now by throwing stuff at me when I'm trying to help you!"

"Josh, how can you call that help? You know I could never get that kind of... that kind of... You know I can't get a position like that. I don't have the qualifications. No one would hire-"

"Donna, you're that one that's crazy. We already do important work every day. You have more practical experience than most any of the people in those positions." He paused for a moment, as something occurred to him. "When Casey offered that position, you thought he was joking at first, didn't you?"

Donna sat back agin. Josh wasn't joking, that much was clear. It was time to start taking this more seriously. She thought back to her conversation with Casey.

"I did, at first. Actually, at first I misunderstood and thought he asking me to get you involved in the site, but even when he made it clear I didn't think there was any way I was qualified."

"And what did he say when you told him that?"

"How do you know I told him that?"

Josh's only answer was a wry smile.

"He said... He said working in this office- Well, he said said doing what I do for you is like getting an M.A. in... backroom politics, or something like that."

Josh sat back with a satisfied smirk.

"But most of these jobs are government positions, with rules and oversight, specific requirements."

"Well, lots of government jobs are like that, the career positions. Which is what I am trying to tell you. That is not your strong point, but... In the executive branch alone, there are thousands of positions that are appointed, where the only person who needs to be convinced of your qualifications is the person making the appointment. At the higher positions, you need senate approval, and as I said, you have good contacts and relationships with the Hill." He laughed for a moment. "For some of those positions, you would already be a much easier senate confirmation than I would."

"Well, that's not qualifications, that's because you would probably be browbeating about some of those senators about some bill, even as you walked into your own confirmation hearing."

"Ahhh Donna, you know me so well." She could see the thoughts of it playing out in his head for a moment. "But my point is, there are lots of those positions, and that doesn't even count staff positions on the Hill, the state level, and the private sector. Bruno and Joey are private sector, and, well, so is Amy for the most part." And now she could see the guilt play out across his face. Have to put a stop to that.

"What's the third point?"

"The third-? Ah!" He cleared his face and took a deep breath. "Third, when that time comes, when you or I get ready to walk out of here for good, we should talk about it. I think you do good work and I know I do, but I think we do great work together," he smirked again, "tonight notwithstanding. We make a good team, and I hope, maybe, that could continue, even if or when this job doesn't."

Donna was nearly stunned. This was not what she expected from tonight. A compliment from Josh was something to be cherished. This was far bigger.

\---

Donna sat in her apartment later that evening, pretty darn happy about her day. Part of her felt guilty for being happy while losing the foreign aid vote, but she was allowing herself to enjoy this.

She focused on the real advice Josh had offered her. It was easy to see some of the specialties Josh had suggested, as many of them were actual segregated groups at the White House: Communications, Legislative Affairs, Budget analysts, even the campaign staff were still fresh in her mind, though they were gone already. She was at once enthralled by the choices Josh had presented, and amazed he thought she could get into those jobs, much less be successful. He was right, she had been looking ahead to other positions, and was already looking for some niche administrative position that would allow her to dabble in... politics. Important work. The night Casey made her an offer, she had seen why their work was important, and that had stuck with her.

At the same time, that Josh thought she could be successful, and the thought of her being in the same group as Amy and Joey, at least in his mind, that led her to other thoughts. Like why did stuff like this happen, just when things seemed to be going so well with Jack.

And all of this made her think of them, as a team. That was beyond flattering. That was unbelievable... Really unbelievable. Did he really mean it? That was unlikely. That was- That was the phone ringing.

"Yes, Josh," she answered on instinct.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure I didn't freak you out. I don't have any plans to leave anytime soon."

She laughed at how they could pick up a conversation hours later as if nothing had interrupted them.

"You made that clear. I am not packing up the apartment just yet, but I will make sure my go bag is by the door."

"Very funny, Donnatella."

"But seriously, you meant that? About being a team?"

"And that is the real reason I called. I figured you would already be second-guessing what I said. Now take it easy, this isn't a job offer. I don't have something lined up or anything. I'm just saying... I did think about quitting today, and some of the implications of quitting." Deep breath. "Yes, I meant it when I said we make a great team, and we can do great work. We already have a great opportunity, working in the White House, and we'll make the most of it while it lasts. But, when the time comes, we can still be a team, and if we have that..."

"We'll steal the rest." She finished.

"Yeah," he laughed with her. "What about the rest of what I said? Were you impressed with how well prepared I was? I handled it like a real manager, didn't I?" Even not laughing, his smirk was loud and clear.

"Yes Joshua, it was very impressive."

"I thought the three points really made it come across as a well-organized discussion, right?"

"Actually, about that, Mr. 760 verbal? Do you really think the three points were your organized highlight?"

"What? What did I mess up?"

"Your three points? The ones you're so proud of? The ones itemized as "One," "Point B," and "Third?"

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank theelectriceel and kcat1971 for the opportunity and encouragement of this challenge.


End file.
